I LOVE MY WORK
Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. I hope we get a chance to meet in person. In the meantime, let me fill you in a little bit about myself. I love creating voices and matching anything you need to help bring your family-friendly vision to life! I take direction well, and I can also give you choices if you want to keep your options open as to a specific sound or type of voice your characters should have.
Growing up, I joined my parents’ magic act when I was 6 years old. Our family loved to use our magic tricks to weave together stories. What I found most joyful about performing was seeing children’s faces light up and fill with delight as they watched the seemingly impossible appear to become possible. That had such an impact on me that children’s entertainment still holds a special place in my heart.
Because our family wrote and tailored each script for every audience, my mom inspired me to start writing. While I was still in elementary school, my first short story was actually published by a national magazine for kids.
I got my first taste of voiceover work when some ladies I knew wrote a spec script for a theater play they planned on selling. It was entitled, “First Church on the Moon” (not to be confused with the Sci-Fi book of the same name), and it was about a group of kids who ended up creating a church in outer space. Because the play was for children, they created a demo tape of the play to help children, who may not have been old enough to read, learn their lines. I had such fun recording the voice of Patti because for that demo tape, they gathered all the actors in the same room to record. Feeding off of each other’s performance energy felt like recreating the golden age of radio!
When my dad’s dream came true of hosting a local television show for children, I joined the cast as a series regular for the 4-year run of the show. The television show was a collaborative effort, and I still remember helping my parents write the lyrics to theme song. During the show’s run, the director took me under her wing and taught me how to run the cameras and edit, which led me to discover the behind-the-scenes world of production. At age 12, I made my first documentary, which was for that tv station. Around the same time, the station asked if I would co-host a 2-episode, live television special series named “Santa Calls.” Being able to help the children who called in with their Christmas wish lists and introduce them to Santa was a memory I will never forget.
After making my first documentary at age 12, I explored the world behind the camera, but my love of acting and performing was still present. From performing with my parents’ magic act, as well as performing (for 2 seasons) in a local puppet troupe, my teenage years were quite busy as I continued performing.
I was so blessed to have so many mentors for the behind-the-scenes world of production, and so I pursued my BA degree in film and graduated cum laude from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. I feel so blessed to have been in the very last class that studied under Frank Capra Jr. in his Business of Film class. He always got to class early, and so would I, and we had some wonderful talks! He made such an impact on my life. He was such a delightful person, and so down to earth and easy to talk to that you would never know he ran Screen Gems Studios. For Christmas, he even brought the family copy of “It’s a Wonderful Life” to screen for the students.
Towards the end of college, I ended up meeting some very kind animators, and I was inspired to do a documentary to encourage kids who might want to pursue a career in animation. My student documentary, “Animation: A Palette of Possibilities” ended up taking me on a wonderful journey as it screened at numerous festivals – including the Short Film Corner at the Cannes film festival! What meant the most to me though, was when a father and son came up to me and told me how much the film meant to them because it helped the father understand his son’s drawing abilities should be nurtured instead of punished. To see a father understand his son for the first time, and to see the boy’s face light up with sense of belonging, just moved my heart to realize the power of media and feel the weight of responsibility to be sure to help and encourage kids – whether in front of the camera or behind it.
After college, I had the joy of writing and performing on a radio advice program for children, entitled, “Star Nite Angel: Advice Incorporated,” which ran for one season. Kids could email their questions about problems they had, and their problems were answered by a “panel” of funny, cartoonishly voiced characters who gave their different opinions, but were “refereed” by a host who gave actual advice. I got to voice all of the characters and host as well, which made for some funny recording sessions of conversations with “myself.”
Later, I guest hosted, wrote, directed and produced two specials for the show, “Indie Music Scene.” One of my favorite memories was interviewing BC Jean and Mark Ballas of Alexander Jean. I’ll never forget how kind and gracious they were to me. That special, “Indie Music Scene: Alexander Jean Special” went on to win two bronze Telly Awards.
Other career highlights for me include hosting and directing “Find Your Future Reality” (a “career day” documentary type of program to help inspire kids) and playing a news reporter in “Left Behind 2: Rise of the Anti-Christ.” For that film, released in theaters and now on DVD, I actually got to speak in the lowest register of my voice.
Now, I’m excited to help YOU! Let me be a part of bringing your vision to life.
See you soon! I look forward to working with you!!
~ Angela